Steps towards learning: A guide to overcoming language barriers in children’s education

In many countries of the world, large numbers of children start school, only to find their teachers are speaking to them in a language they don’t understand. In other places, teachers start by communicating with children in their own language, but as soon as written words and numbers are introduced, teachers use a language children do not understand. In these situations, many children drop out of school altogether, while others fail their examinations and spend years repeating grades. This guide offers strategies to help improve children’s chances of doing better in school, even when it appears very difficult to change the way language is currently used in education.